Being the Youngest

by Olivia Miller

@olive9124

As I slowly get settled into my routine and role at UNL there has been one thing that has gradually come to my attention – I am the youngest in my office and in the entire Arts & Sciences advising team. This does not necessarily bother me, but it is a new role for me. In each and every job I have had younger co-workers, and in my assistantship I was the protective older sister watching my “siblings” grow into their role both in and out of the office. Being the older sister is what I have always known, since the age of 2 when my first sister was born, so suddenly being cast as the youngest has been an adjustment that I never considered before starting my job.

Now being the youngest is not a bad thing – you get to learn from everyone around you, what you should do and what you should not do. You get all of this advice thrown at you from each angle and it is not an expectation for you to know everything. Yet at the same time, this is very new and different for me, and it has definitely been an adjustment – and I am still not fully sure how I feel about this. I worry that people, both students and staff will not take me seriously – if I look too young. I took my staff picture for the website this past week and you can tell I am brand new, not only to the university, but the professional world as well. Will my students respect me and my guidance in student appointments? This will be something I will work on throughout my first year as a professional.

For other new SAPros, how do you feel being the youngest in your office or staff? Is this just an odd concern of mine, or are other people feeling this too? What tips do you have for this adjustment?